Swans Survive A Frantic Comeback By Dockers in AFL

Sydney holds on to win against Fremantle.

The Sydney Swans survived a frantic comeback by the Fremantle Dockers to win at home 94-81.

Sydney dominated the first half and kicked the game’s first three goals before Chris Mayne and Jack Anthony bagged consecutive majors to make the score a little more competitive.

But from that point on Sydney would dominate the remainder of the half and took a 40 point lead at the major break.

Reid was fantastic during the run and kicked three goals, one of which he bombed towards the sticks searching for a teammate only to see it bounce crazily over the last line of defense and through the goal.

Freo struggled defending the high ball inside 50 and players like Reid and Lewis Roberts-Thomson had a field day overhead. Jetta added another goal on the halftime siren to make it 61-21 in favour of Sydney.

But with the new half brought change. Freo inserted often injured star Michael Barlow into the game with their substitution and the move paid instant dividends. Freo would give up the first goal, a turnover by Nick Suban kicking across goal allowed Lewis Jetta an easy one, but with Barlow in the middle providing clearances and stability the Dockers would kick a bunch of consecutive goals.

Clancee Pearce and Tendai Mzungu bagged majors and Kepler Bradley created another and kicked one of his own save the game.

Mayne missed a attempt from in close but an interchange interference gave him a set shot that was just about unmissable. Dawson banged a ball inside 50 and a diving Michael Johnson marked and goaled, cutting a 46 point lead to just 11.

Finally, Sydney got one back before the siren courtesy of Goodes giving them a decent cushion heading into the final term.

Jetta then kicked his third in style, winning a footrace against two Fremantle defenders to run into a brilliant goal to begin the fourth. Had the Dockers not let through the goals to Goodes, Jetta, and another to McGlynn, they probably would have walked away with a fantastic win.

Instead they missed chance after chance, peppering the goals in the final 10 minutes but were not able to breakthrough. They put Sydney under continued pressure during the stretch and looked like a viable top-eight side, going inside 21 times to Sydney's one.

Josh Kennedy led all players with 36 disposals for the Swans while Malceski and Alex Johnson added 26 and 24 respectively. Fyfe had 28 for Freo and Barlow had 20 in just half a game.